Rest in Peace, Alexander McQueen

(Image c/o Washington Post, article linked below)

The homepage at the Alexander McQueen website is dark today, with only the following stark announcement to great visitors:

On behalf of Lee McQueen’s family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee’s family.

Lee’s family has asked for privacy in orderto come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.

At this time, his death appears to be a suicide and follows just days after his mother’s passing. Such a loss is devastating to those of us who have experienced it; words do not adequately describe the grief, shock and anger that you feel at the loss of a loved one. It is easy to feel unanchored and lost.  It is a shame that he was unable to conquer whatever demons assailed him, and my sympathies go out to those who are closest to him who now have their own grief to bear.

McQueen’s death is also an incredible loss to the fashion world which was enriched by his extraordinary vision and talent.

Rest in Peace, Alexander McQueen.  We will miss you and all the shoes you have brought into this world, including these heart shaped peep toe pumps.

Alexander McQueen Heart peep-toe pumps for $675 at Net-A-Porter

Related articles: Style.com, BBC, Fabsugar, NYMag, WWD

Ad Campaigns for Spring 2010

A ton of money goes into ad campaigns as the fashion industry tries to convince us to purchase their product.  The US fashion industry alone spent $144 billion on advertising last year.   Several lines have released some of their ads for Spring and Summer 2010.   Some are great, some are not. Let’s have a look.

Balenciaga

Cesare Paciotti

Jimmy Choo

I am weary of the pouting, leggy girl, wearing nothing more than lingerie, heels and a come hither look, sitting or laying on a sofa/chair, with soft focus.  Virtually every shoe, handbag, fragrance, lingerie, and cosmetic advertisement features at least three of these components.  Snore.

Alexander McQueen’s ad is visually striking.  It took me a while to find the shoes, then the girl.  It’s a great ad, but the only thing I see is snakes.

Humor in ads almost always attracts me, which is why this Giuseppi Zanotti is one of my favorites.  I can’t decide which is cuter, the boy or the shoe.

If the product is not attractive, such as the Alexander McQueen or Balenciaga shoes, then a striking advertisement will make no difference.  I’m not buying it.  With the Paciotti and Choo shoes, the ad is tiresome, but it does let me get a look at the shoes.  The Zanotti ad is able to feature a shoe and not annoy me.  That boy is SO cute.  It does it’s job.  Which ads work for you, which ones don’t?

Update:  Here’s Chanel’s Spring 2010 which was shot by Karl Lagerfield.

Armadillo Shoes Strike Again

The Data Award is a new awards show that recognizes the world’s best dance dj’s and producers.  The first one was held in Los Angeles last week.  Kelis attended the Data Awards wearing a pair of nude armadillo shoes. They were the best part of the outfit.  I would love to get my hands on a pair of those shoes just to see how they are made.

The hair with it’s spikey crown thing and long tail extension, her makeup and face jewelry, the pink pvc catsuit, complete with sweaty cameltoe, the tuxedo jacket, her date’s space disco costume - I don’t get it. 

The outfit is like Bjork’s swan dress.  Heinous, but it got her photo onto virtually every web site around.  (Including this one.) 

I don’t think this is what Alexander McQueen had in mind for these shoes.

Alexander McQueen Rhinestone Peep Toe Shoes

In the spirit of the holidays, ELLE Magazine is running a ’12 Days of Chic’ campaign throughout the month of December.  They have selected twelve hot items which can be purchased through the ELLE StyleFeeder site, with 50% of all proceeds going to the Fashion Delivers Charitable Foundation.   One of the 12 items is a pair of Alexander McQueen rhinestone peep toe shoes ($935).   Normally, when I think of white satin sandals, I think serious and feminine (i.e. weddings) but the black rhinestone details are a complete contrast to the white and give the shoes a more hard core vibe.

Alexander McQueen’s Thigh High Stegosaurus Boots

The windows at Bergdorf are intricate, impressive and memorable this year. More photos and descriptions of those windows to follow. But for now, let’s discuss these FIERCE thigh high boots in the window. I dub them the Stegosaurus Boots for the pointy spine of pyramid spikes lining not only the back of the boot, but also the back of the heel.

Houndstooth is Alexander McQueen’s statement of the year. Artfully draped, it makes a fine Scottish statement (the history of houndstooth purports it to be a wool cloth originating in the Scottish lowlands, and McQueen has mined his Scottish history before).

McQ rarely does anything that doesn’t make a statement, but are these boots, with their spike heel, pyramid spikes lining the entire back of the boot and the heel, wild yet classic pattern, and skintight fit, too much?

Does the mono effect of matching the boots to the rest of the outfit make for houndstooth overkill? Or would you wear these every day if you could?

Inside the store, in the Shoe Salon, I found that the boot was available in black. A little less wild, but somehow I liked it less.

When I was at Bergdorf, in the flurry of picture-taking, I neglected to ask the price on these carnivorous stegosaurus boots. So I called today, and the sales rep said they didn’t have them anymore — that they had been “sent back to the vendor.” (I got this image of Alexander McQueen’s office getting a box that said “RETURN TO SENDER” with a ton of spiky boots crumpled inside).

Did they get sent back because they weren’t moving units, or because they were defective somehow, or why? Why would they send extra shoes back when they’re still in the window through the holidays? Surely people will be asking for them.

She did say that they were in the realm of $1000, which is MUCH less than I was expecting. I wonder if she’s right.